Richard Allen (bishop)

Richard Allen (14 February 1760-26 March 1831) was the founder and first Bishop of the AME Church, serving from 10 April 1816 to 26 March 1831; he was succeeded by Morris Brown.

Biography
Richard Allen was born into slavery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1760, and his master encouraged him and his family to attend Methodist services. Allen joined the Methodists at the age of 17 and began evangelizing, attracting criticism from local slave owners. By 1780, Allen's master was convinced that slavery was wrong, and he allowed for Allen to buy his freedom. Allen became a qualified preacher in 1784, and, in 1787, he decided to create an independent black church, the Free African Society, which mostly affiliated with Episcopalianism. In 1816, Allen united five black churches to form the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was elected its first bishop. He died in 1831.